Orange County Fire Fighters Speak Out Against Distracted Drivers

Local 2057 fire fighter Chad Lowery

December 3, 2012 – The members of Orange County, FL Local 2057 are working with other public safety agencies and state lawmakers to help reduce accidents caused by distracted drivers.

The group recently held a press conference encouraging area drivers to use hands-free devices for phones and to stop texting while driving. State lawmakers also hope to draft and a pass a law that will allow law enforcement to write tickets to drivers who fail to use hands-free devices or who text while driving.

“This issue really hits close to home, as one of our members was seriously injured two years ago by a driver who was texting while driving,” says Local 2057 Secretary Scott Egan. “We are lucky to have Brother Lowery back on the job. Next time we may not be so lucky.”

In 2010, Local 2057 member Chad Lowery was responding to an accident on the side of the road. A woman who was texting while driving didn’t see them and hit Lowery and two citizens. Lowery suffered several broken bones, including his neck and ribs.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted. The agency also says that headset cell phone use is not substantially safer than hand-held use.